08 June 2004 Tuesday 19 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 US convoy attacked in Afghanistan: soldier dies KANDAHAR, June 7: A US soldier was killed and two others wounded after their convoy came under attack in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province on Monday, the US military said on Monday. ... 9 militias to disband in deal with Iraqi govt: Major groups refuse to sign pact BAGHDAD, June 7: Nine Iraqi militias have agreed to disband under a deal announced on Monday by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, but which does not include the major Shia and Sunni groups. ... Turkish govt begins broadcasts in Kurdish ANKARA, June 7: Turkey's state broadcaster began airing programmes on Monday in minority languages that will include politically sensitive Kurdish, in a landmark step designed to please the European Union. ... Allawi not opposed to US presence BAGHDAD, June 7: Iraq's interim government is welcoming a robust US military presence in Iraq after it receives independence on June 30, waiving any formal veto over military operations by the 160,000 foreign troops staying in the country. ... No date for withdrawal from Iraq: US general WIESBADEN, June 7: US President George W. Bush's chief military adviser, General Richard Myers, said on Monday that he could not provide a date for the withdrawal of occupation forces from Iraq. ... Septuplets born to Palestinian TEL AVIV, June 7: A Palestinian woman has given birth to rare septuplets but one infant girl died shortly after birth, doctors said on Monday. They said Hala Eid, 26, from the nearby West Bank city of Bethlehem ... Remains of Israeli airman TEL AVIV, June 7: Israeli forensic experts have determined that human remains handed over by the Hezbollah are not those of missing airman Ron Arad, who bailed out over Lebanon in 1986. ... Al Qaeda warns of attacks on airliners CAIRO, June 7: A statement bearing Al Qaeda's name warned on Monday that Western airliners will be the terror group's target. The statement appeared on an Islamist Web site known for posting messages from militants ... Misleading concept of 'full sovereignty' LONDON: You are either pregnant or not; there is no such thing as partly pregnant. Does the same apply to sovereignty? The answer is no. It is perfectly possible - and, under certain circumstances, highly desirable - for sovereignty to be limited. ... Bush 'not bound' by torture laws WASHINGTON, June 7: US government lawyers contended last year that President George Bush was not bound by laws prohibiting torture and that government agents who might torture prisoners at his direction could not be prosecuted ... Expediency impeding US anti-drug efforts in Afghanistan WASHINGTON, June 7: Political consideration is preventing US officials from trying more aggressively to reduce poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, which had an early and plentiful harvest during 2003-04. ... Nato to use Ukraine's planes WARSAW, June 7: Nato boosted ties with Ukraine on Monday by signing an agreement to use its eastern neighbour's transport planes but said the country must build a functioning democracy before it is ready for membership. ... US begins final tributes to Reagan LOS ANGELES, June 7: Crowds gathered before dawn to pay respects to Ronald Reagan on Monday at the start of a week of tribute to the 40th US president, hailed as "unfailingly kind and courteous" during a stewardship that hastened the end of the Cold War and revived American spirits. ... UN staff leave Congo after fighting UNITED NATIONS, June 7: About 50 international UN staffers have been pulled out of Congo following fighting in the eastern town of Bukavu and anti-UN riots in several cities, the United Nations said on Monday. ... Nancy feels 'relief' at Reagan's death LOS ANGELES, June 7: Former US first lady Nancy Reagan felt a "sense of relief" when 93-year-old Ronald Reagan died after a tough 10-year battle with Alzheimer's disease, a family spokeswoman said on Sunday. ... Indian admits to fake Siachen action NEW DELHI, June 7: An Indian soldier, who served in the Siachen Glacier, testified before an army court on Monday that he had demolished a fake "enemy target" at the behest of a senior officer in August last year and later posed in a video film as an enemy casualty. ... Congress to support Palestinians NEW DELHI, June 7: India's new left-leaning government promised on Monday to give firm support to the Palestinians but said it valued the relationship with Israel which warmed dramatically under the previous Hindu nationalist administration. ... Troops for Iraq: US, BD in dilemma DHAKA, June 7: US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld refrained from formally raising the "resolutely planned American proposal" for sending Bangladeshi troops to Iraq because of Dhaka's dilemma ... US to cut troops in S. Korea SEOUL, June 7: The United States plans to cut its troops in South Korea by a third by the end of next year, as part of a worldwide shift to use higher technology in defence, the two countries said on Monday. ... Palestinian issue no excuse to avoid reform: US warning to ME govts SEA ISLAND, June 7: Arab governments should not use the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an excuse to avoid implementing democratic reforms, a senior Bush administration official said on Monday. ... Shroeder terms French industrial policy nationalistic BERLIN, June 7: Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has called French Finance Minister Nicolas Sarkozy "extremely nationalistic" for opposing a German partner for engineering group Alstom, a newspaper reported on Monday. ... Cameraman dies, BBC reporter in coma: Shooting in Riyadh RIYADH, June 7: BBC correspondent Frank Gardner lay in a coma on Monday after extremists riddled him with bullets and killed the accompanying freelance Irish cameraman, Simon Cumbers, as they were filming in a slum area here. ... LTTE refuses to disarm guerillas BATTICALOA, June 7: With killings in the eastern region reaching an uncontrollable state and speculation rife that the renegade LTTE leader, Karuna, is behind the killings, the LTTE wants to deploy armed cadres in government held areas in the Ampara and Batticaloa region to hunt Karuna loyalists. ... Apathy in upcoming EU elections LONDON: No prizes for predicting that apathy and ignorance will ensure yet another record low turnout in this week's European elections - just at the moment when 350 million people across the continent are eligible to vote. ...

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